List of V Bomber dispersal bases

In its early years, the British V bomber force relied on the concept of aircraft dispersal to escape the effects of an enemy attack on their main bases. There were 22 such bases in 1962, in addition to the ten main bases a total of 32 bases available for the V bomber force.[1]

In times of heightened international tension the V bomber force, already loaded with their nuclear weapons, could be flown to the dispersal bases where they could be kept at a few minutes readiness to take-off. The bases were situated around the United Kingdom in such a way that a nuclear strike by an attacking state could not be guaranteed to knock out all of Britain's ability to retaliate. However, except during exercises, the dispersal bases, capable of taking two to four aircraft each, were never used. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan declined to order the dispersal of the V-Force because he believed the Soviets would view this as provocative. The bombers were instead held at 15-minute readiness at their main bases.

The dispersal bases are mentioned in the opening titles of the 1965 Peter Watkins documentary The War Game.

Types

Dispersal types include:[2]

  • Operational Readiness Platform (ORP): Usually of a group of 4 aircraft pans attached to the runway where aircraft can taxi in and out without the use of a tug[3]
  • Dispersal Airfield: Group of 4 aircraft pans where aircraft can taxi in and out without the use of a tug, usually with additional support buildings
  • Home Station "H": Group of 4 aircraft pans in the shape of the letter "H" where aircraft cannot taxi in and out without the use of a tug
  • Home Station Looped "H": Group of 4 aircraft pans in the shape of the letter "H" where aircraft can taxi in and out without the use of a tug, usually with additional support buildings

Main bases
BaseLocationCo-ordinatesDispersal typeNotes
RAF ConingsbyLincolnshire, England53°05′45″N 000°08′55″WORP & Home Station "H"[4]
RAF CottesmoreRutland, England52°44′36″N 000°38′09″WORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H"[4]
RAF FinningleySouth Yorkshire, England53°29′05″N 000°59′59″WORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H"[4]
RAF GaydonWarwickshire, England52°11′11″N 001°28′59″WORP & Home Station "H"[4]
RAF HoningtonSuffolk, England52°20′37″N 000°47′27″EORP & Home Station Looped "H"[4]
RAF MarhamNorfolk, England52°39′13″N 000°33′58″EORP & Home Station Looped "H"[4]
RAF ScamptonLincolnshire, England53°18′56″N 000°32′17″WORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H"[4]
RAF WaddingtonLincolnshire, England53°10′33″N 000°30′59″WORP & Home Station "H"[4]
RAF WitteringCambridgeshire, England52°36′55″N 000°27′32″WORP & Home Station "H"[4](HQ RAF Bomber Command)
RAF WytonCambridgeshire, England52°21′28″N 000°05′31″WORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H"[4]

Dispersal bases

Scotland
BaseLocationCo-ordinatesDispersal typeNotes
Prestwick AirportAyrshire, Scotland55°30′41″N 004°35′10″WNil[2]
RAF MachrihanishArgyll and Bute, Scotland55°26′01″N 005°39′54″W2 bay ORP[2]
RAF KinlossMoray, Scotland57°38′39″N 003°34′09″W4 bay ORP[2]
RNAS LossiemouthMoray, Scotland57°42′53″N 003°19′27″WDispersed Airfield & 2 bay ORP[2](later transferred to RAF)
RAF LeucharsFife, Scotland56°22′25″N 002°52′48″W2 x 2 bay ORP[2]

Northern Ireland
BaseLocationCo-ordinatesDispersal typeNotes
RAF AldergroveCountry Antrim, Northern Ireland54°39′04″N 006°13′05″WNil[2]
RAF BallykellyCounty Londonderry, Northern Ireland55°03′50″N 007°00′19″W4 bay ORP[2]

England
An Avro Vulcan B1A V bomber parked on one of the rapid dispersal points at Filton during a public air display in the 1960s
BaseLocationCo-ordinatesDispersal typeNotes
RAE BedfordBedfordshire, England52°14′03″N 000°26′35″WDispersed Airfield[2]
A&AEE Boscombe DownWiltshire, England51°09′15″N 001°44′02″WDispersed Airfield & ORP[2]
RAF BruntingthorpeLeicestershire, England52°29′55″N 001°06′52″WNil[2]
RAF BurtonwoodCheshire, England53°24′57″N 002°37′54″W4 bay ORP[2]
RAF CarnabyEast Riding of Yorkshire, England54°03′36″N 000°15′20″WNil[2]
RAF CranwellLincolnshire, England53°01′42″N 000°28′45″W2 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield[2]
RAF ColtishallNorfolk, England52°45′45″N 001°21′56″E2 x 2 bay ORP[2]
RAF ElvingtonNorth Yorkshire, England53°55′25″N 000°58′20″WNil[2]
Filton AirportGloucestershire, England51°31′28″N 002°34′40″WDispersed Airfield[2]
RAF KembleGloucestershire, England51°40′12″N 002°02′43″WNil[2]
RAF LeconfieldEast Riding of Yorkshire, England53°52′59″N 000°26′19″W2 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield[2]
RAF LeemingNorth Yorkshire, England54°17′18″N 001°32′11″W1 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield[2]
RAF LynehamWiltshire, England51°30′13″N 001°59′51″WDispersed Airfield[2]
RAF ManstonKent, England51°20′24″N 001°21′49″ENil[2]
RAF Middleton St GeorgeCounty Durham, England54°30′47″N 001°24′34″W2 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield[2]
RRE PershoreWorcestershire, England52°08′22″N 002°02′53″W2 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield[2]
RAF ShawburyShropshire, England52°47′59″N 002°40′22″WDispersed Airfield[2]
London Stansted AirportEssex, England51°53′03″N 000°13′43″ENil[2]
RAF St MawganCornwall, England50°26′29″N 005°00′24″WNil[2]
RAF Tarrant RushtonDorset, England50°51′06″N 002°04′35″WNil[2]
RAF WattishamSuffolk, England52°07′14″N 000°56′43″E2 x 2 bay ORP[2]
RNAS YeoviltonSomerset, England51°00′31″N 002°37′52″W2 bay ORP[2]

Wales
BaseLocationCo-ordinatesDispersal typeNotes
RNAS BrawdyPembrokeshire, Wales51°53′21″N 005°07′05″W2 bay ORP[2](later transferred to RAF)
RAE LlanbedrGwynedd, Wales52°48′51″N 004°07′50″W2 bay ORP[2]
RAF ValleyAnglesey, Wales53°14′26″N 004°31′19″W2 bay ORP[2]

See also

References

Citations
  1. Force V: The history of Britain's airborne deterrent, by Andrew Brookes. Jane's Publishing Co Ltd; First Edition 1 Jan. 1982, ISBN 0710602383, p.104.
  2. Clarke 2008, p. 185.
  3. Birtles 2012, p. 24.
  4. Clarke 2008, p. 184.

Bibliography
  • Birtles, P. (2012). UK Airfields of the Cold War. Midland Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-346-4.
  • Clarke, B. (2008). The Archaeology of Airfields. Stroud, UK: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7524-4401-7.
  • Wynn, Humphrey - RAF Strategic Nuclear Deterrent Forces, their Origins, Roles and Deployment 1946-69 - HMSO London - 1994 - ISBN 0-11-772833-0 - p. 449
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